Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is stabbed in the neck

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, lies bleeding after being stabbed in the left neck in an attack during a site visit to the Gadeok New Airport site in Busan on Feb. 2. Yonhap News Agency

Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Minjoo Party, was stabbed during a visit to Busan on January 2. Lee received first aid at Pusan National University Hospital before being transferred to Seoul National University Hospital for emergency surgery.

Police arrested Mr. Kim, a man in his 60s who wielded the weapon, at the scene and are investigating him on suspicion of attempted murder. The man told police that he "tried to kill Lee. Political parties lashed out in unison at the attack as "unacceptable terrorism."

Lee was stabbed in the left neck by a weapon wielded by a man in his 60s while visiting the site of Gadeokdo Island New Airport in Gangseo-gu, Busan, at around 10:27 a.m. Lee was conscious but bleeding profusely and was immediately rushed to the trauma center of Pusan National University Hospital.

The man who attacked Lee approached him and asked for his autograph. He then pulled out a weapon and stabbed Lee in the neck. The man was arrested by police at the scene.

Lee received first aid treatment at Pusan National University Hospital and at around 1 p.m., he was transferred by helicopter to Seoul National University, where he underwent emergency surgery at around 3:21 p.m. "The name of the surgery was vascular reconstruction including blood clot removal," Kwon Chil-seung, chief spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, said in a briefing at around 7:40 p.m., shortly after the surgery was completed.

"The damage to the internal jugular vein was confirmed, and the amount of blood clots that flowed out of the vein was greater than expected, so an operation to insert a tube was performed." Lee was transferred to the intensive care unit immediately after the surgery and is recovering.

Police set up an investigation headquarters at the Busan Metropolitan National Police Agency immediately after the incident. On the same day, Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok instructed the Busan District Public Prosecutors’ Office to form a special investigation team to take charge of Lee's attack and thoroughly investigate the case.

The suspect who attacked Lee was identified as Mr. Kim, a 60-year-old resident of Chungnam Province. Mr. Kim told police that he wanted to kill Mr. Lee. It is not yet known which political party Kim belongs to. The Busan Metropolitan National Police Agency’s Special Investigation Division is investigating Kim on suspicion of attempted murder.

The Democratic Party Leadership held emergency top committee meetings in Busan and Seoul respectively to discuss how to handle the situation. "We strongly condemn the attack," spokesman Kwon said, calling it a "blatant act of destroying democracy." "We will not give in to barbaric terrorism and any threats and will move forward unwaveringly with the people," Chung said at a briefing of the emergency top committee meeting at Seoul National University Hospital, adding, "The leadership will continue to execute party duties without interruption."

The Democratic Party decided to hold an emergency parliamentary session on January 3. In a text message to lawmakers earlier in the day, Hong Ik-pyo urged them to "stay calm and refrain from making any political interpretations of the incident or mentioning the culprits other than wishing leader Lee a speedy recovery."

"Something that should never happen in this society has happened," Han Dong-hoon, chairman of the People Power Party’s Emergency Committee, told reporters on the eve of the Daejeon Party's New Year's greeting party.

Lee was scheduled to visit former President Moon Jae-in and his wife for a luncheon at their home in Pyeongsan Village in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, earlier in the day, but canceled all plans following the attack.

Lee will also be unable to attend the New Year's greeting ceremony hosted by President Yoon Suk-yeol at the Cheongwadae Yeongbingwan (Guesthouse) on January 3.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.